Alternate name: Vilcelele (Hungarian: Előpatak) is a commune in Covasna judet, Transylvania comprised of 4 villages: Araci / Árapatak,Ariuşd / Erősd,Hetea / Hetye, and Vâlcele. 2002 Census: 3,698.
JEWISH CEMETERY:
There is one gravestone still standing. [see below] The name is Roza Goldstein born 1878 and died 1879. Any other grave markers are either gone or covered with layers of organic matter. I tried scraping away dirt and moss on one, but did not have proper tools to make it possible. Source: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [September 2013]
Photos: Facebook.: Tzigania Tours. I would like very much to see the cemetery returned to a better state and would do all I can to assist. I have contacted the Heritage Foundation For Preservation For Jewish Cemeteries about this situation. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [Oct 2013]
US Commission Report No. ROCE-0272 -
The cemetery is located at Vilcele, 4017, judet Covasna, Romania at 4551 2541, 99.9 miles NNW of Bucharest and 10 km from Sfintu Gheorgh. The alternate Hungarian name is ELOPATAK. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Popa Grigore, Town Hall of Vilcele, 4017, judet Covasna
- The Jewish Community of Brasov, Poarta Scheii Street no. 27, Romania, tel: 068/143532, Brasov, 2200, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Str., no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- Interested: "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Street no. 7-9, room 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi Street, no. 15, 6400- Iasi Judet Iasi, Moldavia , Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
- Caretaker: Boriceanu Vasile, Vilcele.
- Key holder: Boier Ludovic and Boier Susana, Oltului Street no. 50, bl. 2, sc. D, ap. 6, Sfintu Gheorghe, 4000, tel: 067/324881, judet Covasna
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 38, 1900 was 19, and in 1930 was 3. In May 1944, most of the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Tirgu Mures and o, May 27, 30 and on June 8 were deported to concentration camps. The unlandmarked Orthodox and Neolog cemetery was established in second half of the 19th century. Last known burial was inter-war period.
The isolated hill and hillside have no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 500 square m. 1-20 stones are visible. No stones are in original location. More than 75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is not a problem. Water drainage is good all year.
No special sections. The oldest known gravestone dates from 1879. The 19th and 20th century sandstone, concrete smoothed and inscribed and carved relief decorated common gravestones have Hebrew and Hungarian inscriptions. No known mass graves.
The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent property is forest. The cemetery was vandalized occasionally in the last ten years. No maintenance. Current care is regular unpaid caretaker. No structures. Security is a very severe threat: no fence, no gate and deep in the forest. Humidity is a serious threat. Vegetation is a moderate threat.
Claudia Ursutiu, Pietroasa Str. no. 21, 3400 Cluj Napoca, Romania, tel. 0040-64-151073
visited the site and completed the survey on 3 December 2000 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul din 1880. Transilvania (1880 Transylvania Jewish Population Census.) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Bucharest 1997.
- Recensamantul din 1900. (1900 Transylvania Jewish Population Census) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj, 1999
- Recensamantul general al populatiei din 29 decembrie 1930 (The General Census of the Population from December 29, 1930), vol. II, Bucuresti 1938 Recensamintul general al populatiei din Romania din 7 ianuarie 1992 (The General Census of the Population of Romania from January 7, 1992), vol. I, Bucuresti, 1994
- Zsido Lexikon, ed. by Ujvari Peter, Budapest, 1929
- Erdelyi Lajos, Regi zsidotemetok muveszete, Bukarest, Kriterion, 1980
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian
- Demeter Lajos, A Szepiszentgyorgyi regi zsido temeto sirkoveirol, in Evkonyv, 1996
- Izvoare si marturii referitoare la evreii din Romania (Sources and Testimonies on the Jews in Romania), vol. III/1-2, coord. L. Gyemant, L. Benjamin, Bucuresti, Ed. Hasefer, 1999
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localitatilor din Transilvania (The historical dictionary of localities from Transylvania), vol. I-II, Bucuresti, 1967
- Otto Mitelstrass, Historisch-Landeskundlicher Atlas von Siebenburgen, Ortsnamenbuch, Heidelberg, 1992
- Gyemant Ladislau, Evreii din Transilvania in epoca emanciparii (1790-1867), The Jews of Transylvania in the Age of the Emancipation, Bucuresti, Ed. Enciclopedica, 2000
- Microsoft Auto Route Express 1999
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu interviewed Boier Ludovic, 03.12.2000, Vilcele on 3 December 2000. [January 2003]
Photo courtesy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [September 2013]
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